Foreign substance found in coffee premix, say police

GEORGE TOWN: Initial police investigations did not rule out the possibility of the coffee premix drank by two Nepalese men which caused to them suffer extreme fatigue contained a foreign substance believed to be a type of drug.

Northeast district police chief ACP Anuar Omar said an analysis of the coffee sample conducted by Penang Food, Safety and Quality officer had yet to identify the drug.

“An analysis of the packet of coffee sample given by an unidentified woman to the security guards showed the packet had been opened and sealed back as the bottom of the packet showed it had been torn.

“The weight of the packet which had been resealed also showed an additional 10 grammes (g) from the original weight of 40g to 50g and the coffee powder contains was a green foreign substance unlike the original coffee premix,” he said yesterday.

He said the coffee sample had been sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis to identify the type of drug mixed in the packet.

Anuar said further investigations were still being carried out including tracking down the woman who gave the coffee premix to the two Nepalese men.

He said two women were also warded at Penang Hospital (HPP) for similar condition after drinking the coffee on Jan 27 from a donor at a temple.

Five individuals including the two women were being treated at HPP after suffering from fatigue and weakness and a few of them fell unconscious believed after drinking the coffee from Sunday to Tuesday.

All of them aged between 19 and 62 were being held at the hospital for observation and tests. Three of them have however been discharged after their condition improved.

Meanwhile Penang Health director Dr Wan Mansor Hamzah when contacted said there were no new cases reported and investigations on the coffee sample as well as tests on the patients had been completed.

“Test information and findings on the case have been hand over to the Health Ministry for further actions,” he said.